A PROCESS FOR INCREASING THE AMOUNT AND QUALITY OF RECYCLED PLASTICS RESINS

EACH YEAR, AMERICANS DISPOSE OF AN ESTIMATED 29 BILLION POUNDS OF PLASTICS WHICH CONSUME UP TO 20% OF OUR NATION'S ANNUAL LANDFILL CAPACITY. RECENT ENVIRONMENTAL AND POLITICAL PRESSURES HAVE LED TO RAPID ESTABLISHMENT OF PLASTICS RECYCLING FACILITIES. LIMITED MARKETS FOR LOW QUALITY RECYCLED RESINS REQUIRE RECLAIMERS TO PRODUCE THE HIGHEST QUALITY RECYCLED RESINS IN ORDER TO COMPETE WITH VIRGIN RESINS. AN INCREASING NUMBER OF RECLAIMERS ARE TURNING TO AUTOMATED SORTING TECHNOLOGY TO HELP ACHIEVE THIS GOAL. CURRENTLY, PET FROM SODA BOTTLES IS THE MOST RECYCLED PLASTIC. THE SECOND MOST RECYCLED PLASTIC IS HDPE COMPRISED MOSTLY OF MILK JUGS AND BASES FROM PET BOTTLES. IT IS PRESENTLY DIFFICULT TO EXPAND POST-CONSUMER PLASTICS RECYCLING BEYOND THE EASILY RECOGNIZED PET SODA BOTTLES AND HDPE MILK JUGS, WHICH TOGETHER CONSTITUTE ONLY 6% OF PLASTICS DISPOSED ANNUALLY AND ONLY 14% OF PLASTIC CONTAINERS AND PACKAGING. ACCORDING TO THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY A MAJOR LIMITING FACTOR IN QUALITY OF RECYCLED RESINS AND IN EXPANDING PLASTICS RECYCLING TO INCLUDE A BROADER SPECTRUM OF PLASTICS IS LACK OF AUTOMATED PLASTICS SORTING TECHNOLOGY. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PHASE I RESEARCH PROGRAM IS TO DETERMINE FEASIBILITY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A HIGH SPEED AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR HIGH ACCURACY SORTING OF PLASTICS BY POLYMER TYPE.